Damn. He had completely forgotten about the music. ?I only realized last night that I didn?t have a CD player. And there wasn?t time today to get one. It was a madhouse . . .?
?It?s okay.? But he detected disappointment. ?If you want it, I?ve got a portable CD player. The bass isn?t too great.?
?Thanks, Fritz, but I must get something for the flat. I?ll make a plan tomorrow, I promise.?
?Great. And then let me know.?
?The minute I have listened to it.?
?Dad, don?t work too hard. And Carla sends her love and says yesterday was cool.?
?Thanks, Fritz. Give her my love too.?
?Okay, Dad. Bye.?
?Sleep well.?
He sat behind the wheel and stared into the dark. Emotion welled up in him. Maybe Anna didn?t want him anymore, but the children did. Despite all the harm he had done.
The dramatic difference between the crime scenes at Bishop Lavis and Camps Bay was immediately apparent. In the wealthy neighborhood there were practically no onlookers, but at least twice as many police vehicles. The uniformed officers huddled on the sidewalk as if they expected a riot.
He had to drive down the street a bit to find parking and walk back up the slope. All the houses were three stories high to see the now invisible view of the Atlantic Ocean. They were all in the same style of concrete and glass?modern palaces that stood empty most of the year while their owners were in London or Zurich or Munich, busy raking in the euros.
At the steps a uniform stopped him. ?Sorry, Inspector Ngubane only wants key personnel inside,? the constable said.
He took out his identity card from his wallet and showed it. ?Why are there so many people here??
?Because of the drugs, Inspector. We have to help move them when they are finished.?
He walked up to the front door and looked in. It was as big as a theater. Two or three sitting areas on different levels, a dining area and, to the right, on the balcony side, a sparkling blue indoor swimming pool. Two teams of Forensics were busy searching for bloodstains with ultraviolet lights. On the uppermost level, on a long leather couch, four men sat in a neat row, handcuffed and heads bowed as if they felt remorse already. Beside them stood uniformed policemen, each with a gun on his arm. Griessel went up.
?Where is Inspector Ngubane?? he asked one of the uniforms.
?Top floor,? one indicated.
?Which one of these fuckers messed with the girl??
?These are just the gofers,? said the uniform. ?The inspector is busy with the big chief. And it?s not just about
with the kid.?
?Oh??
?The child has disappeared . . .?
?How do I get up there??
?The stairs are there,? pointed the constable with the stock of his shotgun.
In the first-floor passage, Timothy Ngubane stood and argued with a large white detective. Griessel recognized him from the faded blue and white cloth hat sporting a red disa flower emblem and the word
: Senior Superintendent Wilhelm ?Boef? Beukes, a former member of the old Murder and Robbery and Narcotics branches and now a specialist in organized crime.
?Why not? The girl is not in there.?
?There might be evidence in there, Sup, and I can?t risk . . .? He spotted Griessel. ?Benny,? he said with a degree of relief.
?Hi, Tim. Boef, how are you??
?Crap, thanks. Drugs haul of the decade and I have to stand in line.?
?Finding the child has priority, Sup,? said Ngubane.
?But she?s not here. You already know that.?
?But there might be evidence down there. All I?m asking is that you wait.?
?Get your butts moving,? said Beukes and stalked off down the passage.
Ngubane sighed deeply and at length. ?It?s been an amazing night,? he said to Griessel. ?Absolutely amazing. I?ve got everybody down there??
?Down where??
?There?s this storeroom in the basement with more drugs than anyone?s ever seen, and the entire SAPS is here?the commercial branch and organized crime and the drugs guy from Forensics, and they all have their own video teams and photographers, and I can?t let them in, because there might be leads to where the girl is.?
?And the suspect??
?He?s in here.? Ngubane pointed at the door behind him. ?And he?s not talking.?
